FATHER IS DESTINY: AGAINST HER WILL

FATHER IS DESTINY : AGAINST HER WILL

Two hefty men were seen carrying a lady, walking some steps ahead of them was the lady's father. Not satisfied with the pace at which the guys were walking, he told them to hurry. The lady on the other hand was shouting on top of her voice "put me down".

After a while, they arrived at the compound of a man, Mr. Kingsley. At the compound, Mr. Kingsley was seen in the company of his wife and daughter (who was wearing the NYSC Khaki). At the sight of the men carrying the lady (who was later identified to be Monica), Mr. Kingsley's daughter couldn't help but shout, "drop her down" as she couldn't fathom how on earth a lady would be treated in such a manner.

On hearing her talk, the men eventually released the lady they were carrying, Monica agreed to what Mr. Kingsley's daughter had said, in her words: 'Aunty, help me tell them o’. Then facing the men, she said 'una get luck, if to say una no put me down, you for see wetin I for use una eyes see'.

Facing Mr. Kingsley and his daughter, Monica's father (Mr. Ibu) who instructed the hefty men in the first place at this point uttered a shocking statement. "Please help me beg my daughter to go back to school". Mr. Kingsley's daughter couldn't believe her ears as to what she had just heard. She couldn't imagine why someone at this age and time had to be begged to be literate.

Before they could reply, a woman who was later identified as Monica's mother rushed into the compound fidgeting, obviously worried sick about her daughter. By the way, who wouldn't? Considering the way her daughter was handled by two hefty men.

Sharon, (Mr. Kingsley's daughter) turned to Monica and asked 'Why don't you want to go to school?' Monica looked at Sharon and said 'Aunty, make I tell you the story'. She opened her mouth and narrated her ordeal with Sharon...

Sometime ago, a young, vibrant, and outspoken girl named Monica was seen in the company of her friends in the village. Monica who had just finished her secondary school was happy that she would be going to the University. She couldn't hide her excitement from her friends as she went about telling them about her big dreams as soon as she graduated. She even promised to buy her friends cars and other goodies.

The gist amongst these young friends became so interesting until she was told that her dad called for her. Monica bade her friends goodbye, and walking briskly, she hurried home with high spirits. On getting home, Monica was shocked to see her father (Mr. Ibu) and her mum in the sitting room looking unusually quiet and unhappy.

Being the introvert that she was, she paused a bit to know who she would sit close to, then she sat close to her mum. The room went silent for what looked like forever. Mr. Ibu broke the silence by saying, he was not ready to further sponsor Monica's education.

In his words, he couldn't sponsor a female child who would later end up spending her salary on her husband. So, he preferred to invest more in a son who would inherit his name and property even after he was long gone. He went further to reiterate what happened to his friend who trained his daughter to school but was left alone to himself as soon as the daughter got married and so he decided to learn from his friend, choosing not to walk along the same path.

Her father then advised her to get married. He said, ‘thank God you're beautiful, you'll get a rich husband. So daughter, you know I've laboured over you and it's time for me to reap where I have sowed, so bring a man home, a rich in-law that would take care of me especially in this old age as I do not have the strength to run around as in the days of my youth’.

On hearing this, Monica couldn't believe her ears, it was as though her whole world was crumbling right before her very eyes, her expectations and hopes were dashed. Sitting close to her mum, she looked up to her mum with the hope to find refuge and solace in the comforting words of her mother.

A ray of hope brightened her countenance when her mother said she was not in support of her father's decision. Monica smiled, unknown to her that she was in for another unpleasant surprise which was rather unfortunate. Her mum then continued by saying, it wasn't as though she didn't support her father's decision for her to stop schooling, but rather, she was not in support of the reason her father gave.

According to her, regardless of gender, every child deserves equal treatment. Monica felt her world crumbling around her. Her expectations and hopes were dashed. She looked to her mother for comfort, but found none.

After narrating her story, Monica paused, collecting her thoughts. Sharon, the copper's daughter, asked, "When did this happen?"

Monica replied, "Sometime last year."

Sharon's expression turned sympathetic. "It's not too late, Monica. You can still go to school."

But Monica insisted, "There's a problem."

Sharon's curiosity was piqued. "What happened?"

Monica took a deep breath before continuing her story. "After my parents refused to support my education, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I ran away from home, determined to find a way to fund my education. I was desperate and naive."

Monica's voice cracked as she spoke. "I met a guy who promised to help me. He offered me a place to stay, and I trusted him. But one night, he took advantage of me."

Sharon's eyes widened in shock. "I'm so sorry, Monica. That's horrific."

Monica's eyes welled up with tears. "It's not just that. I'm... I'm pregnant."

The room fell silent, with all eyes on Monica. Mr. Kingsley's face turned pale, while his wife looked stunned.

Sharon spoke up, trying to offer comfort. "It is well Monica, I think there's still hope.

But Mr. Kingsley's response shocked everyone. "There's no problem. It's just two months. You can... you can abort the pregnancy."

The room erupted into a mixture of shock and outrage. Monica's eyes widened in horror, while Sharon and her mother looked at Mr. Kingsley in disgust.

"How could you suggest such a thing?" Sharon's mother asked, her voice trembling with anger.

The scene ended with Monica feeling more lost and alone than ever, unsure of what the future held for her.